d'Arenburg The Dead Arm Shiraz McLaren Vale 2006 - A very dark, vibrant, polished appearance with a dense red crimson hue. The aroma upon opening is surprisingly elegant showing superb fruit characters dominated with red fruits, plum, spices, red cherries, cranberry, white and green pepper and blueberry notes against a back drop of very fine oak. The flavours are ripe; red fruits, cherries, plums and black olives with edges of dried garden herbs. As the wine opens the palate is extremely tight and controlled. In many ways this wine is more elegant than previous vintages with tannins that have a wonderful mineral grittiness that is balanced right to the wine's pointed finish. This wine shows a great potential to age.

 

The quality of vintage 2006 was very good across most varieties with fruit characters noticeably fragrant with good acidity and excellent length of flavour. The lead up to vintage was uneventful with average winter rain followed by heavy rains in spring that resulted in vines with healthy, balanced canopies on most soils. A mild, early, summer leading into a warmer period during veraison stopped vegetative growth allowing vines to channel energy into the fruit. A prolonged cool period occurred after veraison in February with some rain which enabled the fruit to ripen without any stress. Finally the warmth returned in March with cool evening temperatures to complete ripening in almost perfect conditions enhancing fruit flavour and richness without diluting levels of natural acidity. Picking was staggered with many parcels picked in wonderful autumn conditions.